What is a Prayer For Judgment?
In North Carolina, a Prayer For Judgment (PJC) for traffic violations is a common practice. It allows a person to plead guilty and then ask for a “Prayer for Judgement,” meaning that the offense is not entered against you. You can, for example, plead guilty to an overspeeding ticket and then request a Prayer for Judgement. If granted, license points will not appear on your record.
Understanding PJCs and When to Use Them
This may sound like a good deal, but a petition’s success is not guaranteed. Prayer for Judgements is only allowed to be used by a household twice every five years. Judges have a wide range of discretion when it comes to granting Prayer for Judgements.
If granted, the Prayer for Judgment can result in increased rates of insurance, driver’s license suspension, employment or housing issues, as well as other situations involving background checks. You may still lose your license even though you won’t get any points added. A criminal attorney can help determine if this is the right choice for you to make in a pending criminal case.
Can I Use A Prayer For Judgment?
We would like to remind all North Carolina residents about the proper use of Prayer for Judgement. Before deciding to file a petition, there are a few things to consider. Any defense attorneys are available to help you through the process and will explain the pros and cons.
Factors you should consider when deciding whether or not to apply for a PJC.
- You can use a PJC to plead guilty, but there is no guarantee the judge will accept it.
- This is not an alternative to DWI or speeding over 15mph
- The DMV recognizes only two PJCs per five years
- Most insurance policies only recognize one PJC every 3 years
A PJC is not the best solution for everyone, make sure to consult your lawyer who is licensed to practice law in North Carolina when making legal decisions related to a Prayer for Judgement
Alex Adekola is a proven thought leader in the reputation management industry who has targeted mugshot publishers since 2012. He is the longest-serving reputation and crisis management strategist and has written extensively on crisis management. He is the creator and director of strategy at Incept Technologies.